Fire damages F-35A

[Dragon029]

I'm not entirely sure what future growth could be made that would be limited by the deepening of the trench, but I'm sure if they decide to try and upgrade the engine they'll do what needs to be done.

[maus92]

Pratt is not paying for the redesign of F135 engine components identified as suspect in the "root cause" post fire investigation, although in public statements Pratt implied that it would pay for all costs to fix the issue. Pratt will pay for the repair of already delivered engines and changes to the production line to implement the final solution. The "root cause" of the liberating engine part was blamed on too-tight tolerances of a seal, and not on the flexing of the engine casing or airframe under light G-loading well within the operating limitations of the aircraft. The interim solution of "pre-trenching" the seal seems to have been adopted as the permanent fix, but Pratt will reevaluate the fix later this year. They have already indicated that it may affect performance enhancements efforts.

"One key improvement was to increase the inspection interval from three to thirteen
flight hours for the operational fleet. The program was able to determine root cause, and developed an interim solution: a “pre-trenched” rub material that will be implemented in the field starting later this year. Pratt and Whitney has agreed to cover the costs for the repairs to engines in the field and the cut-in of the solution to the production line, while the program office will pay for the design activity as per the development contract. The program continues its work on a long-term fix to the engine and expects to review and select from the design solutions this spring, followed by design and qualification testing, and finally, incorporation of the solution into the production line. This work is expected to be completed in 2015."

Source:

Bogdan written testimony in HASC Hearing, April 14, 2015

[bring_it_on]

Which makes sense because the development period for the engine has not yet concluded, so it is still in development yet P&W is still required to cover its concurrency obligations under contract.

[spazsinbad]

The most recent SAR had this to say in the 'Executive Summary' (amongst a zillion other things):

"...Pratt and Whitney (P&W) has agreed to cover the costs for the repairs to engines in the field and the cut-in of the solution to the production line, while the program office will pay for the design activity as per the development contract. The program continues its work on a long-term fix to the engine and expects to review and select from the design solutions this spring, followed by design and qualification testing, and, finally, incorporating the solution into the production line. This work should be done in 2015...."

Go here for the beer: viewtopic.php?f=22&t=27229&p=289280&hilit=Whitney#p289280

AND... a bunch o'witness statements 14 Apr 2014 here: http://docs.house.gov/Committee/Calenda ... tID=103032

Witnesses
Lieutenant General Christopher C. Bogdan, Program Executive Officer, F-35 Lightning II Joint Program Office, Department of Defense: http://docs.house.gov/meetings/AS/AS25/ ... 150414.pdf
&
Dr. Michael Gilmore, Director, Operational Test & Evaluation, Office of the Secretary of Defense: http://docs.house.gov/meetings/AS/AS25/ ... 150414.pdf
&
The Honorable Sean Stackley, Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research, Development and Acquistion (RDA), Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Navy: http://docs.house.gov/meetings/AS/AS25/ ... 150414.pdf
&
Mr. Michael Sullivan, Director, Acquisition and Sourcing Management Issues, U.S. Government Accountability Office: http://docs.house.gov/meetings/AS/AS25/ ... 150414.pdf

[spazsinbad]

Fire in that hole: Veasey asks Bogdan AUDIO only attached from 14 Apr 2015 whatever committee it is.

[f-35dsuperlightningiii]

Engine Fires are often with any aircraft, the F-16, Su-50, & a few others have had fires before. I dont see how everyones hating of the F-35 for something that has happened many times before with a variaty of jets.

look at it this way, at least we are over the era were every time a plane lands on a carrier half the plane is fukt up.

[zenith]

http://www.airforcetimes.com/story/mili ... /28535269/

A fractured engine rotor caused an F-35 to catch fire during takeoff for a training mission last summer, according to an Air Force investigation released Friday.

The June 23 fire — on an Air Force F-35A assigned to the 58th Fighter Squadron at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida — prompted a brief grounding of the F-35 fleet and caused the Pentagon to cancel the F-35's appearance at the 2014 Farnborough Airshow in England.

The pilot was able to abort takeoff and exit the aircraft. Emergency crews were able to extinguish the fire.

The cause of the mishap was catastrophic engine failure, according to the Air Education and Training Command Accident Investigation Board report. The third-stage forward integral arm of a rotor fractured and broke free during the takeoff roll. Pieces cut through the engine's fan case, engine bay, internal fuel tank and hydraulic and fuel lines before leaving through the aircraft's upper fuselage. Leaked fuel and hydraulic fluid ignited the fire, which burned the rear two-thirds of the aircraft, according to the report.

Total damage is estimated to be more than $50 million, according to AETC.

Officials with the F-35 Joint Program Office had been open about the cause of the fire before the investigation report was released due to pressure from Capitol Hill, with lawmakers using the incident as an example of issues with the overall F-35 program. The House version of the fiscal 2016 National Defense Authorization Act includes a provision requiring the Pentagon to review the lone engine program for the F-35, including a specific review of the fire.

The mishap also reignited a discussion on Capitol Hill of whether a competitor to the Pratt & Whitney F135 engine should be restarted, though that move has not been made in any proposed legislation.

The F-35 joint program office has repeatedly expressed confidence that the mishap's cause is isolated and has been repaired.

[bring_it_on]

Basically all that has been previously discussed at some point or the other.

[spazsinbad]

NO sub so this is all she wrote....

With $50M In Damage, Burnt F-35 Likely To Be Stripped For Parts
05 Jun 2015 UNK AvWeak

"With such damage, “It is likely parts will be returned to the F-35 spares inventory as appropriate,” says F-35 Joint Program Office spokesman Joe Dellavedova. “Other components of the aircraft will be evaluated for potential reuse in other aircraft or training systems.”..."

Source: BAD LUCK ON THE URL ALSO - who gives a crap anyway - http://aviationweek.com/defense

[spazsinbad]

Butler is as Butler does - amiable....

With $50M In Damage, Burnt F-35 Likely To Be Stripped For Parts
05 Jun 2015 Amy Butler

"U.S. Air Force Air Education and Training Command (AETC) found that damage to an F-35A that caught fire last year after a catastrophic engine mishap totaled more than $50 million.

With such damage, “It is likely parts will be returned to the F-35 spares inventory as appropriate,” says F-35 Joint Program Office spokesman Joe Dellavedova. “Other components of the aircraft will be evaluated for potential reuse in other aircraft or training systems.”

The F-35A, part of the 58th Fighter Squadron, caught fire after taxi and before takeoff June 23, 2014, during a training mission at Eglin AFB, Florida. The pilot safely aborted takeoff and exited the aircraft....

...AETC’s accident investigation validates the findings of the Pentagon and Pratt & Whitney, the F135 engine manufacturer....

...The problem had not been seen in earlier jets because they were flown in gradually more complex flight profiles, effectively “burning in” that trench. The fix is being added to the existing fleet and will be cut into the production line...."

Source: http://aviationweek.com/defense/50m-dam ... pped-parts

[neptune]

http://aviationweek.com/defense/50m-dam ... pped-parts

...finally a "D^^^^n" Photo!

With $50M In Damage, Burnt F-35 Likely To Be Stripped For Parts
Jun 5, 2015 Amy Butler

U.S. Air Force Air Education and Training Command (AETC) found that damage to an F-35A that caught fire last year after a catastrophic engine mishap totaled more than $50 million. With such damage, “It is likely parts will be returned to the F-35 spares inventory as appropriate,” says F-35 Joint Program Office spokesman Joe Dellavedova. “Other components of the aircraft will be evaluated for potential reuse in other aircraft or training systems.”

The F-35A, part of the 58th Fighter Squadron, caught fire after taxi and before takeoff June 23, 2014, during a training mission at Eglin AFB, Florida. The pilot safely aborted takeoff and exited the aircraft.. AETC’s accident investigation validates the findings of the Pentagon and Pratt & Whitney, the F135 engine manufacturer..The problem had not been seen in earlier jets because they were flown in gradually more complex flight profiles, effectively “burning in” that trench. The fix is being added to the existing fleet and will be cut into the production line..

[spazsinbad]

What a bunch of bastards AvWEAK really are - now the topic is LOCKED again. O well - nothing new with that attitude from them. Anyhoo I did not realise the photo shown was of the damaged F-35 - (original tiny) - so I'll BLOW IT UP for youse. http://aviationweek.com/site-files/avia ... tcjpg.jpeg

[spazsinbad]

The Joint Strike Fighter Really Is Joint; Fire Caused $50M In Damage
05 Jun 2015 Colin Clark

"WASHINGTON: Here’s today’s news: the rotor failure that ripped apart an F-35A June 23 last year caused $50 million in damage to the aircraft, the Air Force’s Accident Investigation Board said today.

Here’s the official version of what happened to the Air Force’s Joint Strike Fighter. “The engine failed when the third stage forward integral arm of a rotor fractured and liberated during the takeoff roll,” the investigation found. “Pieces of the failed rotor arm cut through the engine’s fan case, the engine bay, an internal fuel tank, and hydraulic and fuel lines before exiting through the aircraft’s upper fuselage. Damage from the engine failure caused leaking fuel and hydraulic fluid to ignite and burn the rear two thirds of the aircraft. The total mishap damage is estimated to be in excess of $50 million.”...

Tiny action photo:http://breakingdefense.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2015/06/Firefighters-douse-F-35A-fire-June-23-2014.jpg

Source: http://breakingdefense.com/2015/06/the- ... im-damage/

[spazsinbad]

The HOLE wot did it: http://alert5.com/2015/06/06/usaf-relea ... more-38334

PHOTO: http://alert5.com/wp-content/uploads/20 ... 702_n1.jpg

[sergei]

"Fire Destroys F-35"? 'Tis only a flesh wound! (until the facts come in)

First thing I want to know is: What is with the title of this thread? Is Maus teaching Overwrought Headlines 101?

Second thing I want to know, did Dave Majmundar come up with the 'possibly destroyed' bit or was it the Punk Journalist co-author/editor? Maybe the plane is a writeoff, maybe it isn't, but the line-- until the jet cools down enough to tear into it--it is only 'true' in the same sense "it is possibly rebuildable" is 'true'.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZBExQZ6HlJg